


Gradually

by imaginentertain



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: M/M, a tumblr fic posted here for posterity, and the moment which lead to him finally asking, episode codas (sorta), i make no apologies, in which Patrick realises that he wants a forever with David, what happens when Jen is given something to play with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 22:58:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18537190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginentertain/pseuds/imaginentertain
Summary: Deciding to propose to David didn't happen in a "Road to Damascus" moment with blinding light and a chorus of angels singing.  It wasn't some blinding revelation or significant moment with a story for the grandkids attached.  It was just something that happened gradually over a series of moments.  These moments.





	Gradually

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EscapingReality51](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EscapingReality51/gifts).



> when do you think Patrick knew he wanted to propose to David?
> 
> was it one morning as he read a book while David snored softly beside him? was it over a quiet lunch at the store where their eyes met and they shared a smile? was it one evening when David made Patrick soup while he was ill and it tasted terribly but that didn’t matter? was it when Patrick was worried about his parents and coming out and David just held him for a little, or was it before that, when David made sure whatever they did, Patrick was ready?
> 
> or was it all of those moments and more, was it every single moment they spent together and then one day Patrick looked at him and just knew? 
> 
> \---
> 
> Amelia posed this question. This happened.

Convincing David to stay over had been a challenge but it was worth it to see how content he looked in the early morning sunrise. Of course in about thirty seconds Ray would open the door, with or without a “knock knock” (hey, progress was progress even if it was intermittent) and Patrick thought he would quite happily deal with all the interruptions from Ray for this to be his life from now on.

They’re eating pizza on the floor of his new apartment and David is already talking about what is going to go where, the colour schemes that would best suit the place, and the dresser units that would be acceptable for him to put a few of his things. “Not that I’m moving in,” David reminds him with a coy smile that says he will probably be staying over most nights and Patrick adds to his mental checklist, reminding himself to get another key cut for David. Something that made it clear he is welcome here any time.

He’s exhausted in a way he’s never been before and it’s only now that he’s realising what a weight he’d been carrying around all this time. His parents love him, accept him, they like David. They have plans for breakfast tomorrow - the four of them - and Patrick can’t help but think of the holidays that he’ll go home for, David’s hand in his. He pictures introducing David to everyone, probably at the christening later on in the year. His cousin has only just announced her pregnancy but Patrick can already see the look of sheer panic on David’s face when he’s offered a hold of the baby. Patrick knows he’ll come around: David’s got a soft spot for Brewers and they breed them cute in his family and even David’s admitted that cute babies and well-raised babies are acceptable. Also they would have to be the babies of someone he admired and respected. Like Beyonce. His love for her would mean that… David had stopped dead on that sentence because he’d caught Patrick’s eye and they’d both smiled and then both dropped it because _not yet_.

When it came to languages at school Patrick did OK. He preferred the universal language of mathematics and that led him on to business. But the fact that the Emcee has so many lines in so many languages - “And I have to _sing_ them, David.” - is making him wonder if he can do it. Thankfully David, who once upon a lifetime ago jet setted around the world, is on hand to teach him how to work his tongue around the foreign syllables. There’s a patience there which few get to see and Patrick is reminded just how much of this man he knows, experiences in ways that no one else ever has.

He mentions it to Stevie first. She can keep a secret. It’s an idea he has, for some point in the future. He doesn’t know if David would even be interested but he wanted to run it past someone, just to check that he’s not mad for even thinking about it. Stevie is excited, bless her, and she swears herself to secrecy without being asked. He’s worried David won’t want to be “tied down”. The whole boyfriend thing and the “I love you” thing and the fact that neither of them have ever been in this kind of relationship before mean that it’s all new territory. (He’s not impressed when Stevie points out he was engaged before because that was _different_ thankyouverymuch.) She points out that they’ve both come so far and she thinks that David would love introducing Patrick as his husband. Patrick asks for her blessing and she pretends to think it over before hugging him tightly.

He’s not thinking too much about it which is why he misses the rings on his first pass of the shop. As part of the “I do the creative side, you do the business stuff” process they have with the shop Patrick does all the bank runs. Because David doesn’t do lines and he doesn’t do waiting while deposits are double checked and floats are counted out. He walks past the window and only barely registers them but it’s on the way back that he sees the thick gold band next to a more feminine wedding ring. It’s what gives him the idea to look up the equivalent of David’s rings. He completes the purchase while sitting in his car because he figures that one day it’ll be right and at least this way he’ll be ready. (They sit in the mailing box at the bottom of his closet for a week after they arrive because it’s just a little too real for him to accept just yet. But he smiles when he thinks about them and when he sees them so that’s positive.)

It’s David who asks if they’re going to do something on their day off as they close up the shop for the night. It’s the night before the day before opening night and he knows his mother is going to be unbearable so maybe they should get away? Do something together? David is keen to minimise the pressure that his mother may put onto Patrick and so it’s easy fro Patrick to get David to promise to “anything I want?” before he suggests a walk and a picnic. “Only if there’s cheese,” David tells him. “And I don’t mean of the serenading variety.” Patrick barely sleeps that night, double checking that he’s got the bags ready and everything is in place.

David has his foot in his hand and is applying hand sanitiser with such care and attention that for a second Patrick wonders if there’s something really wrong with his foot. But the moment is gone and all the frustration he’d felt about how badly the day and his plan had been going just… melted away. David did that a lot. Whenever Patrick was becoming frustrated about something David would just be at his elbow with a touch or a smile of a coffee or a flirty comment (which always led to some of the best destressing activities Patrick had ever known) and as David calmly agreed to continue with the hike, all his previous complaints and whining gone from his tone, Patrick realised just how much David got him in return.

He’s on one knee and David’s got the box in his hands and Patrick’s heart breaks a little when David asks, “Are you sure?” Because Patrick has never been more sure of anything in his life. Later on David will ask how long Patrick had been planning this and Patrick won’t honestly have an answer Because it feels like one of those conclusions you come to gradually.

**Author's Note:**

> Come play on Tumblr. I'm beautifulhigh


End file.
